“Have you learned anything from the Jones girl?” asked the agent for the Enforcers, on the other end of the line.
Yes. That she tastes delicious and she’s a hot kisser, Sam thought. And at the immediate moment, she was very, very angry at him. He’d left multiple text messages; he’d try again tomorrow.
“I already told you. I am very confident that she’s not involved in any drug trafficking. She has four younger siblings who mean the world to her. She wouldn’t risk them going into foster care. She was a college student with a 4.0 average, she’s held down a full time job since she was sixteen…she’s not like the rest of the family.”
“I hope you’re right.” The agent didn’t sound convinced. It was understandable; the Jones family was notorious among bear shifters, for good reason.
“How are things going with the Somniatus task force?” Sam asked, eager to change the subject to anything other than his delicious Clover.
“You heard about the laboratory bust?”
“No.” Sam perked up. “That sounds like good news. Tell me about it.”
“We believe we’ve busted the last laboratory that manufactures the stuff. Not only that, but we’ve worked with the manufacturers who made the chemicals that were used by the laboratories. They are now putting in an agent that will render the chemicals useless to the labs.”
“That’s amazing news,” Sam said. “So…why don’t you sound happier?”
“Apparently, there’s a crop of Somniatus being grown somewhere, and we have no idea where in the country that might be. It is possible that if someone gets ahold of the actual plants, they could find a way to clone them and reproduce them that way.”
“Well, like I told you, we have seen absolutely no sign of it here. I can assure you if we did, I’d let you know immediately. I’ll keep my eyes and ears open.”
“And you’re still confident that Clover isn’t in touch with her family? Can’t tell us where her parents or her uncle are?”
“Very confident,” he said. “Have you uncovered anything new that indicates that her parents are involved?”
“Nothing new, but Ralph Jones was a major player in the business, and it doesn’t look good that they went underground and left their own children behind rather than sticking around to talk to our agents. That suggests that they had at least some involvement.”
“I can’t argue with that,” Sam said. “It could be because they were afraid they’d be arrested, or it could be because they have something to hide. Clover adamantly denies that they’d ever be involved in something like that, but she has a blind spot where her family is concerned.
Chapter Six
The Blue Moon Junction Clothes Depot was crowded, and Clover was nervously trying to keep an eye on all four siblings at once. Don’t shoplift, don’t pickpocket, don’t get in trouble, she silently prayed.
It was the usual mix of shifters of all species and humans. About sixty percent humans today, she estimated. Moonlight and Twilight were checking out racks of blue jeans; Lennon had grabbed a couple of T-shirts. They all looked well-behaved and innocent. Too innocent, Clover thought suspiciously. She was going to take them into the changing room and do a discreet pat-down and make them empty their pockets before they left the store.
She glanced at Autumn, who was standing there with her hands on her hips looking down at the floor. Autumn’s toes poked through holes in her sneakers. “Your shoes are falling apart. Get some new shoes,” Clover insisted.
Sapphire had showed up at the boarding house that morning, waving a sheaf of bills at them, and she’d insisted that Clover use it to buy some new clothes for the kids. Apparently her new waitressing job was paying quite well. She’d taken Autumn aside and tried to hand her a pair of earrings; their parents had tracked Sapphire down too. They’d had a brief, heated argument and Autumn had turned and stomped off.
“I’m not using Sapphire’s money. I’m waiting until I have enough money from doing chores at the farm.” Autumn’s tone was firm.
“So now you’re mad at Sapphire too?” Clover said, exasperated. “What has she done to get on your bad side?”
Autumn shrugged. “Imogen paid me. I’m going to go buy a cup of coffee,” she said. “Do you want anything?”
Before Clover could answer, she realized that people were staring out the store’s big picture window into the street behind her, and murmuring and pointing.
She spun around. Sam was marching towards the store…carrying a twisted, battered car door.
“Stay here,” she said to Autumn, and rushed outside.
“Oh, good. I’ve been looking all over for you,” Sam said cheerfully. “Getting some funny looks. Can’t a man take his car door for a walk without being treated like a freak?” He set the car door down on the sidewalk.